Dog Gets Head Stuck in Biscuit Box, Falls into Roadside Ditch

Dog Gets Head Stuck in a Box

A 15-year-old dog living on Arrowhead Drive is deaf and blind, but has a strong sense of smell, which it used to find an empty biscuit box at around 9:12 a.m. on June 8. It sniffed its way into the box when its head got stuck.

Police said the dog walked along its street with the box on its head, until the pooch fell into a roadside ditch. An Animal Control officer found the dog and took the dog biscuit box off its head without incident, according to the report.

The owner was given a verbal warning for a roaming dog violation.

Fawns Waiting for Momma

Monroe Animal Control officers responded to two calls from residents seeing a fawn in their yard over the past week.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Interested in Monroe's news, events, community bulletins, blogs and businesses? Sign up for the free Monroe Patch daily newsletter, "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

________________________________________________________________________________________

On June 7, a River Drive resident heard a fawn crying outside. Police said it is normal newborn behavior. The animal was left alone for its mother's return. Then the doe nursed its fawn until it was strong enough to follow her back into the woods.

In a separate call, a small fawn was seen in a yard on Monroe Turnpike on June 11 (See Photo). Like the previous incident, the mother came back for her young.

A Peacock on the Loose

Animal Control fielded several phone calls for sightings of a stray Peacock owned by Joseph Aversa on Old Coach Road (See Photo).

The bird was seen on the back porch of an Old Tannery Road residence on June 7, in the road in the 700-block of Monroe Turnpike on June 8, in a front yard on Hearthstone Road then in a yard on Deerfield Lane on June 9, in a yard on Penny Royal Lane on June 11, and on the front steps of one house on Mill Brook Terrace and in the yards of two others on June 12.

A Goat Rammed Her Car

A Webb Circle woman complained about two stray goats in her yard causing property damage on June 14. She told police the animals damaged her garden and that the male goat, who likely saw his own reflection, kept running and butting her car with his horns.

The livestock owner, who lives on the same street, told the officer that he was loading his goats on a truck so he could take them to a new home in New Milford when they escaped. He later contacted the other homeowner concerning the recovery of his animals and the damage they caused, police said.

Foxes Wreak Havoc

On June 11, a Glen Hollow Drive resident complained that foxes living in a nearby den keep going under her deck, defecating on her sidewalks and driveway and burying dead animals in her yard.

Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said foxes will bury kills for a food cache at a place where they feel safe to eat. The den site is in a storm drain off of Wheeler Road, he added.

Police gave the homeowner exclusion methods and hazing tips to keep the animals out of her yard. If it becomes too much of an issue, she can contact a Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator.

Risko said coyote urine can be an effective deterant, but added it sometimes has the effect of moving foxes one house over, leading to complaints by the other property owner.

A Litter of Kittens

A family helping their mother move from her house on Guinea Road June 13 found stray kittens living in the garage. Police recommended contacting a private rescue group.

A Raccoon Den Site

An East Maiden Lane resident, who found three baby raccoons living in his shed took them outside, according to a report at 12:52 p.m. on June 8. Police advised him to leave the animals alone, so their mother could return and take them to a secondary den site.

Police also recommended cleaning out the shed, performing exclusionary methods and repairing the building. An officer was scheduled to come back to the property to make sure the mother moved her young.

Raccoons in Dumpsters

Police responded to two separate incidents of a raccoon trapped in a Dumpster, one at 358 Wheeler Road on June 9 and another at 1 Independence Drive on June 11. In both cases a ladder was used to allow the animals to climb back out.

Woodchuck Euthanized

A sick or injured woodchuck seen in a yard on Far Horizon Drive on June 11 was removed and euthanized. A booster vaccination was recommended for the homeowner's dog.

On June 13, the dog owner requested that the woodchuck carcass be tested for rabies. The next day, Animal Control Officer Ed Risko drove the specimen to the State Lab in Hartford for testing.

Skunk Euthanized

A sick, immature skunk was euthanized and removed from a property on Greenwood Lane on June 13. A second skunk could not be found.

The officer suggested that the family stay outside with their dogs when they let them out to monitor exposure until the animals disperse.

Woodchuck Damage

On June 12, an Oak Wood Drive resident complained about garden damage from woodchucks digging on her property. An officer gave her exclusion methods and suggested hiring a DEEP Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator, if she "absolutely can't live with the animals."

Sick Raccoon Chased Away

Police received several phone calls about a sick raccoon on the walking ramp of Building 3 near 15 Hidden Knolls Circle. A police officer responding to the scene chased the animal off the walkway and it ran into a den site in a storage area in back of the building, according to the report

No exposures or testing was required. Police suggested that the property owner be contacted to hire a DEEP Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator.

Thank You

Monroe Animal Control expressed its gratitude to the Babson family for donating dry dog food on June 12 for animals staying at the shelter.

Roadside Casualties

A skunk killed in a motor vehicle accident on Purdy Hill Road was removed from the roadway on June 8. It was a five-pound adult male.

Police received the report of an injured year-old female deer on Moose Hill Road at 2:34 p.m. on June 8. The animal was dead on arrival and its carcass was removed. A State Deer Kill Incident Report was completed.

A similar incident involving another female deer was reported in the 700-block of Main Street at 9:08 p.m. on June 8. Because the deer was an adult, an officer will recheck the area for fawns. 

The body of an Opossum hit by a vehicle in the 400-block of Monroe Turnpike was removed on June 9.

A stray cat was hit by a vehicle in the 300-block of Elm Street at around 12:31 p.m. on June 9. An officer was unable to find the carcass. There were no missing cat reports in the area. A similar incident was reported on Purdy Hill Road five hours later.

An adult female raccoon was struck and killed by a vehicle in the 500-block of Cutlers Farm Road on June 9. An officer will check the area for seven days in case there are orphaned raccoons.

A deer killed in a motor vehicle accident in the 800-block of Main Street was reported at 1:16 a.m. on June 10.

A skunk struck and killed by a vehicle on Garder Road was removed on June 12.

Police were not able to find a deer struck by a vehicle in the 700-block of Monroe Turnpike on June 13.

A dead, adult, female skunk was found in a driveway on Kimberly Drive on June 14. An officer will check the area for orphaned skunks over a seven-day-period.